NFL notes: Jets’ Mark Sanchez deemed day to day

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The Jets announced Sunday that Mark Sanchez is ‘‘day to day’’ with an injured shoulder that will sideline him for the exhibition game against Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Associated Press
August 26, 2013

Mark Sanchez’s banged-up right shoulder will keep him out of the New York Jets’ preseason finale. Whether he’s also out of the team’s quarterback competition remains to be seen.

The Jets announced Sunday that Sanchez is ‘‘day to day’’ with an injured shoulder that will sideline him for the exhibition game against Philadelphia on Thursday night. Sanchez, competing with rookie Geno Smith for the starting job, was unlikely to play in that game anyway. The team did not announce the nature or severity of Sanchez’s injury, suffered in the Jets’ 24-21 overtime victory over the Giants on Saturday night. Sanchez had an X-ray on the shoulder after the game, which apparently revealed no fractures, and an MRI Sunday to determine if there’s any damage.

The Jets’ announcement indicated that Sanchez likely does not have a season-ending injury. Still, there’s a chance Sanchez might not be ready in time for the regular-season opener against Tampa Bay on Sept. 8. Sanchez, who appeared in good shape to beat out Smith for the starting job, left with 5:40 left in the fourth quarter when he took a hard hit in the shoulder from Marvin Austin after he completed a 23-yard pass to Mohamed Massaquoi.

Sanchez stayed on the turf, writhing in pain for a few moments as the team’s trainers ran out to check on him. When he got up, the quarterback flexed his right arm and hand as he headed to the sideline. He took one practice throw on the sideline and appeared to shake his head ‘‘No.’’ Trainers wrapped his shoulder in ice before taking him to the locker room.

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Coach Rex Ryan has taken a lot of heat from media and fans for bringing in Sanchez that late in the game behind an offensive line made up of backups. While it was similar to the line he played with in the third quarter of last week’s win over Jacksonville, it seemed somewhat curious that Sanchez — who many assumed had moved ahead in the competition — would be put in at that point.

Smith struggled in his first NFL start, throwing three interceptions and stepping out of the back of the end zone for a safety while playing into the fourth quarter. Ryan and Smith said after the game that the plan all along was to have Sanchez play after Smith.

‘‘I would not have put Mark in there if it wasn’t important,’’ Ryan said. Ryan also turned testy — turning his body sideways to the media at one point — while refusing to definitively answer whether Smith could still win the quarterback competition despite his poor performance.

‘‘I can say anything I want,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s the beauty of this country. I can answer it 100 [times]. I can stand backwards and answer the question. I’m going sideways. We’ll make the announcement when I think it’s the appropriate time.’’

Brown out for season

Giants free safety Stevie Brown will miss the regular season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee that he hurt against the Jets.

Brown, 27, who led the Giants with eight interceptions last season, was placed on injured reserve on Sunday and will need reconstructive surgery. The eight interceptions were the most by a Giant since Willie Williams had 10 in 1968. Brown’s 307 interception return yards set a franchise season record.

Brown’s injury, which came on a non-contact play soon after he intercepted a pass and returned it 22 yards, will move fifth-year veteran Ryan Mundy into a starting role. Mundy signed with the Giants in the offseason after spending his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bills add two QBs

A day after quarterback Kevin Kolb suffered what a league source told ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter was a serious, possibly career-ending concussion, the Bills added two quarterbacks, signing free agent Matt Leinart and trading for Thaddeus Lewis.

Terms of Leinert’s deal weren’t disclosed. He fills a need at Buffalo’s injury-depleted quarterback position. Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner at Southern California, was drafted by Arizona in the first round in 2006. After four seasons with the Cardinals, he spent 2011 with Houston and last year with Oakland.

Kolb was injured in the first quarter Saturday against the Redskins when he was kneed in the helmet following an 8-yard scramble. Coach Doug Marrone said it was too soon to determine how much time Kolb could miss. Kolb has had issues with concussions, having sustained two in his first six seasons. The league source told ESPN.com that the Bills are proceeding as if the injury could be career-ending.

Buffalo’s other quarterback, first-round pick EJ Manuel, is out for the rest of the preseason with a left knee injury.

Late Sunday the Bills announced they had traded linebacker Chris White to the Lions for Lewis, who spent two seasons on the Browns’ practice squad.

Castonzo sprains knee

Left tackle Anthony Castonzo will not play in the Colts’ preseason finale after an MRI confirmed the former Boston College star has a mild sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Castonzo was injured on the opening series of Saturday’s 27-6 victory over Cleveland and did not return. Right guard Mike McGlynn did not play Saturday after bruising his knee during practice last week. Castonzo is listed as day to day, and coach Chuck Pagano said he hopes both linemen would be ready for the Sept. 8 opener against Oakland.
The Colts also waived 11 players, including running back Davin Meggett, son of ex-Patriot Dave Meggett, and put linebacker Lawrence Sidbury on injured reserve with a shoulder injury that will likely require surgery.

Ravens cut Shiancoe

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was among nine cuts by the Ravens, less than one month after joining the team as a free agent. Shiancoe signed July 28 after Baltimore lost tight end Dennis Pitta with a dislocated and fractured hip.

Shiancoe, 33, who played four games for the Patriots last season, caught five passes in the preseason. The addition of free agent Dallas Clark this month made Shiancoe expendable in Baltimore.

The Ravens also signed former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist, who will serve as a backup in the preseason finale because second-stringer Tyrod Taylor has been undergoing concussion tests.

49ers roll over Vikings

After a slow start, Colin Kaepernick completed six straight passes in his third series of the game and connected on a 5-yard-touchdown toss to Quinton Patton, and Lavelle Hawkins returned a kickoff 105 yards for a score late in the second quarter in the 49ers’ 34-14 exhibition victory over the Vikings in San Francisco. Reigning NFL MVP Adrian Peterson didn’t touch the ball in one series of action for Minnesota, making his preseason debut as he begins a year in which he will try to become the first player with consecutive 2,000-yard rushing seasons . . . The Texans’ Andre Johnson had 131 yards on seven receptions before halftime against the Saints in his first extended work of the preseason. But New Orleans’ backups scored two TDs in the second half to key a 31-23 victory in Houston. Matt Schaub threw for 213 yards for Houston.
Drew Brees threw for 104 yards and a TD for New Orleans before sitting out after the third possession.

Ex-Titan Bulluck arrested

Former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck was charged with felony robbery in Nashville after a cab driver accused him of taking money during an argument.

The driver was waiting outside a bar for a paid fare early Sunday when Bulluck approached him asking for a ride, police said. The driver said he declined and Bulluck grabbed him by the shirt and took a $100 bill, and fled.

In a statement to The Tennessean, Bulluck described the incident as a ‘‘misunderstanding between me and the cab driver about getting my money back for a service not rendered.’’

‘‘At 2 a.m., things could easily get lost in translation, but regardless of who was right or wrong, I regret putting myself in that situation,’’ he said.

Bulluck retired in 2012 after playing 11 seasons in the NFL, 10 with the Titans. He worked as a television analyst Saturday night on the Falcons-Titans game.

Raiders release Cribbs

Kickoff return specialist Josh Cribbs was released by Oakland, one of 10 cuts made by the Raiders. Cribbs had knee surgery in the offseason and signed with the Raiders after eight seasons with Cleveland. But he struggled to regain his speed in camp. He also fumbled a kickoff in Friday’s loss to Chicago. The Raiders also said quarterback Terrelle Pryor will make his first start in their preseason finale Thursday at Seattle while the team rests Matt Flynn. Flynn has been bothered by arm soreness . . . Cardinals guard Jonathan Cooper, the team’s first-round pick out of North Carolina, suffered a broken left leg in Saturday’s game against the Chargers and is out indefinitely. Also, the Cardinals cut kicker Dan Carpenter, four days after signing him to compete with Jay Feely . . . The Bears cut veteran safety Tom Zbikowski and defensive end Kyle Moore, along with 12 other players . . . Steelers rookie linebacker Jarvis Jones was released from a Pittsburgh hospital after being treated for a chest injury. The team did not say what tests the first-round pick from Georgia underwent or whether he’ll play in the preseason finale Thursday at Carolina.